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I would just like for people to get pulled over for the blinding illegal LED headlight conversions

by teeray 3y ago

traverseda 3y ago
But I need to keep up with the new generation of blinding legal headlights.
01HNNWZ0MV43FF 3y ago
At this point they're so common that I think they're not even the conversions, it's just manufacturers putting in lights that are misaimed, too bright, or it's the fact that many pickup trucks have hoods at my standing eye level. At least when I see the underglow LEDs I think "ha that's kinda cute, wonder when he's getting pulled over". Those don't bother me as much.
- saltcured 3y ago
  You have to look closely but without blinding yourself! I see three major categories of blinding lights on the roads in California: New cars that are really bright and with appropriate beam shape/cut-offs, but annoying on hills or because of the taller cars you mentioned. New or not-so-old cars where the driver is using the wrong light settings. That is fog lights and/or high-beams in inappropriate conditions or sometimes the opposite: somehow having daytime running LEDs at night instead of proper headlight activation. The aftermarket retrofits which have none of the appropriate beam shape/cut-offs or projection. This can be a bit like the daytime running LEDs above in being diffuse but much brighter and often obviously anachronistic on some older car I know is from the basic halogen sealed-beam era. But it also includes trucks with various "offroad" lights being inappropriately activated on streets.
- MarkusWandel 3y ago
  Actually here's a thing. Our new car, a fairly humble model, nonetheless comes with projector headlights that have a sharp divide between "very bright" and "dark" about halfway up to the rear windows of the car in front. That's if the car is perfectly level. But load it up for a Christmas trip, with the kids in the back seat and the trunk packed full, and it's ever so slightly off level, and over a distance low enough to still blind, will move that light/dark dividing line up to window level. And there's nothing we can do about it. The aim of the lights can't be adjusted. Unintended consequences. On the other hand, why do we have a new car? Because the old one got written off. Why? Because one of those gigantic SUVs whose hood is at about chest level, with way bright headlights was tailgating and blinding the spouse from behind so she pulled over to let it pass. Only to have the driver lose control (it was winter with some ice/snow on the road) and hit her on the rear corner. If it wasn't for those high-mounted, blinding lights none of this would have happened.
  - alphabettsy 3y ago
    I’m not aware of a car with headlamps that can’t be adjusted. Since headlamp alignment has a legal requirement to meet I don’t see how it could be road legal without adjustability. That exact scenario is why I think self-adjusting headlamps which were standard on most Xenon equipped vehicles should be required for all HIDs whether Xenon or LED.
    - bombcar 3y ago
      They’re adjustable - but unless they’re auto-adjusting, nobody is going to take the time to adjust for every weight load and distribution. However, if it’s noticeable you probably should have it adjusted or the rear ride stiffened.
  - paradox460 3y ago
    My Subaru ascent actually has a headlight leveling feature. I was hauling sacks of chicken feed the other day, and the headlights automatically "lowered", with an icon on the dash indicating as much
- Flameancer 3y ago
  Just checked my states laws. Underglow lights aren’t illegal, and also I can get them installed directly from the manufacturer.
Mountain_Skies 3y ago
In the past few years, police have mostly stopped enforcement of minor vehicle laws like window tint, blinding headlights, loud stereos, and illegal modifications. While some people are assholes, I suspect most people simply don't know how poorly aligned and blinding their headlights are. Maybe stores like AutoZone will start offering easy tests for customers to detect such issues.
- bombcar 3y ago
  AAA sometimes offers speedometer and headlight checks. It should be more common, as adjustment is only a few minutes if you know what you’re doing. Insurance companies should encourage it.
m463 3y ago
I suspect legal headlights have just become harder on the eyes in general. To me older incandescent headlights seemed to have a yellower light coming from a much broader area. Newer headlights seem to have the max lumens possible, much bluer/higher energy light, and from almost a point source.
0x38B 3y ago
There was a lifted pickup truck that was stuck behind me on my road a couple times in the evening. Absolutely blinding headlights: my car was sharply outlined by their beams, which went on to light up the road far brighter than my brights ever could - the brightest lights I've ever been blinded by. If they ever blinded an oncoming police car, my faith in humanity makes me hope they'd get pulled over...
- Scoundreller 3y ago
  > Absolutely blinding headlights: my car was sharply outlined by their beams I gradually slow down under such conditions of limited vision.

I would just like for people to get pulled over for the blinding illegal LED headlight conversions

by teeray 3y ago

I would just like for people to get pulled over for the blinding illegal LED headlight conversions

traverseda 3y ago

But I need to keep up with the new generation of blinding legal headlights.

01HNNWZ0MV43FF 3y ago

At this point they're so common that I think they're not even the conversions, it's just manufacturers putting in lights that are misaimed, too bright, or it's the fact that many pickup trucks have hoods at my standing eye level. At least when I see the underglow LEDs I think "ha that's kinda cute, wonder when he's getting pulled over". Those don't bother me as much.

saltcured 3y ago
You have to look closely but without blinding yourself! I see three major categories of blinding lights on the roads in California: New cars that are really bright and with appropriate beam shape/cut-offs, but annoying on hills or because of the taller cars you mentioned. New or not-so-old cars where the driver is using the wrong light settings. That is fog lights and/or high-beams in inappropriate conditions or sometimes the opposite: somehow having daytime running LEDs at night instead of proper headlight activation. The aftermarket retrofits which have none of the appropriate beam shape/cut-offs or projection. This can be a bit like the daytime running LEDs above in being diffuse but much brighter and often obviously anachronistic on some older car I know is from the basic halogen sealed-beam era. But it also includes trucks with various "offroad" lights being inappropriately activated on streets.
MarkusWandel 3y ago
Actually here's a thing. Our new car, a fairly humble model, nonetheless comes with projector headlights that have a sharp divide between "very bright" and "dark" about halfway up to the rear windows of the car in front. That's if the car is perfectly level. But load it up for a Christmas trip, with the kids in the back seat and the trunk packed full, and it's ever so slightly off level, and over a distance low enough to still blind, will move that light/dark dividing line up to window level. And there's nothing we can do about it. The aim of the lights can't be adjusted. Unintended consequences. On the other hand, why do we have a new car? Because the old one got written off. Why? Because one of those gigantic SUVs whose hood is at about chest level, with way bright headlights was tailgating and blinding the spouse from behind so she pulled over to let it pass. Only to have the driver lose control (it was winter with some ice/snow on the road) and hit her on the rear corner. If it wasn't for those high-mounted, blinding lights none of this would have happened.
- alphabettsy 3y ago
  I’m not aware of a car with headlamps that can’t be adjusted. Since headlamp alignment has a legal requirement to meet I don’t see how it could be road legal without adjustability. That exact scenario is why I think self-adjusting headlamps which were standard on most Xenon equipped vehicles should be required for all HIDs whether Xenon or LED.
  - bombcar 3y ago
    They’re adjustable - but unless they’re auto-adjusting, nobody is going to take the time to adjust for every weight load and distribution. However, if it’s noticeable you probably should have it adjusted or the rear ride stiffened.
- paradox460 3y ago
  My Subaru ascent actually has a headlight leveling feature. I was hauling sacks of chicken feed the other day, and the headlights automatically "lowered", with an icon on the dash indicating as much
Flameancer 3y ago
Just checked my states laws. Underglow lights aren’t illegal, and also I can get them installed directly from the manufacturer.

Mountain_Skies 3y ago

In the past few years, police have mostly stopped enforcement of minor vehicle laws like window tint, blinding headlights, loud stereos, and illegal modifications. While some people are assholes, I suspect most people simply don't know how poorly aligned and blinding their headlights are. Maybe stores like AutoZone will start offering easy tests for customers to detect such issues.

bombcar 3y ago
AAA sometimes offers speedometer and headlight checks. It should be more common, as adjustment is only a few minutes if you know what you’re doing. Insurance companies should encourage it.

m463 3y ago

I suspect legal headlights have just become harder on the eyes in general. To me older incandescent headlights seemed to have a yellower light coming from a much broader area. Newer headlights seem to have the max lumens possible, much bluer/higher energy light, and from almost a point source.

0x38B 3y ago

There was a lifted pickup truck that was stuck behind me on my road a couple times in the evening. Absolutely blinding headlights: my car was sharply outlined by their beams, which went on to light up the road far brighter than my brights ever could - the brightest lights I've ever been blinded by. If they ever blinded an oncoming police car, my faith in humanity makes me hope they'd get pulled over...

Scoundreller 3y ago
> Absolutely blinding headlights: my car was sharply outlined by their beams I gradually slow down under such conditions of limited vision.